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Does anyone know if it is possible to purchase an inline one way water valve suitable for installing inside a rubber hose, ID 1.5”. I’m trying to ensure water flow in my car’s cooling system whilst the thermostat is closed does not enter the bottom of the radiiator but all flows through the block. Thanks Ranald

'fraid your on a looser on this one Ranald!! When the thermostat is closed there is very little coolant flow being pumped through the cooling system, (other than there should be a by-pass bleed across the thermostat to prevent air locks etc.) so there is effectively no circulation to re-direct as such through the heater. However, the general proximity of the heater to the block will ensure some decrease in warm-up time, but not-a-lot as Paul Daniels would say.

Any road up (as they say in Bermingum) heated water rises anyway - and does not flow in the direction of entering the bottom of the radiator, either by pumped circulation or thermo-syphon.

Better to employ a chauffer in a cottage as per my last post to warm the car up for you before setting off.

Stan, Thanks for your reply. The design I employed has a smaller diameter bypass pipe which takes water to the bottom of the engine when the thermostat is closed. The idea being that water continues to circulate in the block thus avoiding hot spots during the warm up. My concern is that the water being pumped to the bottom of the engine may back fill the radiator in addition to the engine block. This just a theory. If it was possible to have a one way valve at the bottom of the rad, it would do no harm in this set-up. I wonder if anything is commercially available. All the best. Ranald

Given your query some thought - but I'm afraid I still cannot see how your intentions would work!

Firstly, although called as such, engines do not have a water pump, but an impeller which centifuges the coolant to aid and suplement flow in the direction of the themo-syphon inducement to create circulation. (i.e. - hot water rises which induces it to flow down through the radiator (actually its a heat exchanger - but don't let's get too technical).

However, not being of a positive displacement, in my view the coolant flow would not be of sufficient "pressure" as could be detectable by a one-way valve inserted in the bottom radiator outlet to limit circulation to the engine block during warm up with the thremostat closed - notwithstanding such a system would then become a closed circulation - which would have difficulty in coping with the increased volume/pressure build-up due to increasing coolant temperature.

That said, by virtue of the themostat being closed during warm up, flow through the radiator is severely restricted in any even - so simply connecting your heater with one hose near to below the thermostat housing and the other before the water pump inlet would give you the effect you are seeking, without complication.

Moral:
It is said NASA spent a fortune on developing a pen which would work in zero gravity - whilst Russian Cosmonauts use a pencil.

Without a heater fitted the coolant in the block remains virtually static until the themostat opens - which it does progressively, so in reality the engine cannot reach operating temperature any more quickly - which is why I thought you were looking for a scheme to provide a more rapid circulation through a heater.

Helllo Stan, I have an aluminium pipe containing the thermostat housing. This is sited between the impeller housing and radiator top. The aluminium pipe has a smaller diameter by-pass coming off it (before the thermostat) allowing some coolant to return to the bottom radiator pipe when the thermostat is closed. My hope was that this arrangement would allow some circulation whilst the thermostat is closed. My concern (although not proven) is that some water may be re-entering the bottom of the radiator rather than all going into the block. You raise some interesting points which will hopefully help me arrive at a working solution. Kind regards, Ranald